


Slow Dance

by Leni



Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: Episode: s03e20 The Prom, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-23
Updated: 2011-12-23
Packaged: 2017-10-27 21:56:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/300471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leni/pseuds/Leni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Lean back. Lean forward…. Repeat.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Slow Dance

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [BA Rosebuds](http://ba_rosebuds.livejournal.com) (Prompt: slow dance) and [Writers' Toybox](http://writers_toybox.livejournal.com) (Prompt: after the dance, at The Prom).

_Lean back. Lean forward…. Repeat._

 _The music slowed to the final notes of their song, then picked up into a faster rhythm neither she nor Angel cared to follow._

 _  
_His hand at her waist. Her hand at his shoulder. It had been so long since they'd been this close together._   
_

"You're still leaving," she whispered, breaking their silent pact to let this moment be their last dream. (But it had never been a dream. There needed to be a reminder that this was real, Buffy thought, that they had always been real.) Tears gathered but weren't allowed to fall. Hadn't she cried enough already? "You haven't changed your mind."

Later, Buffy would wonder whether a part of her - the hopeful part that usually slunk to a corner and waited for life to resemble normality - had expected him to deny her words. Because Angel couldn't really be leaving. He _couldn't_. How was she supposed to stay his girl, always his girl, if he left?

Right. She was her own girl now.

She always had been.

(Being with him had helped her pretend otherwise.)

"You look beautiful," he said instead, still leading her into small circles.

 _Lean back, lean forward…. Lean against him._

She smiled against his shirt; avoiding the issue wouldn't work for long. "You're trying to distract me," she accused, but there was no anger in the words. After all, they were counting down the minutes to goodbye, what did it matter if they pretended one more time? "Thank you." Eyes closed, her cheek resting against his chest, Buffy wondered whether he had smiled at that.

Maybe, she decided. He was still on boyfriend duty, and boyfriends smiled at their girlfriend's attempts at humor, no matter how lame. She would miss that, too; being friends with him, in their own way.

It seemed fitting that they would part like this, in good terms.

It wouldn't hurt as much if she hated him.

 _Love wasn't happiness. Love wasn't always. Love was a drunken promise: you'll never be friends…._

The song ended. Another started.

 _Lean back…_

She allowed herself to squeeze his shoulder, raised her gaze to his. Before the end, there was one more thing to say - "If I could, I would follow you," and the strength of her voice surprised her.

It didn't surprise him.

 _Lean forward…._

"I know," and his smile was sincere.

Their dance didn't stop.

 _Repeat._

 

The End  
11/02/11


End file.
